Rebecca enters Kenzo’s house to find him sitting in the lobby area on one of his black leather seats. A glass of whiskey sits in his hand.
Closing the door, she stops, still holding the cherry pie in her hands.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Kenzo turns his head to the side. His gray eyes are on her as he moves them up and down her body. Fear. That’s all she feels.
“What you got there?” Kenzo narrows his eyes at her, and Rebecca rolls her eyes. Her body is stiff.
“Cherry pie,” she mumbles, and Kenzo nods his head in thought.
“And where did you get that cherry pie from?”
“I made it.” Rebecca comes up with a quick excuse and tries to think of the maid’s name on the spot. She hopes she will back her up if Kenzo does start asking questions.
“Claudia helped me cook it in her small house at the end of the garden here.”
“So if I ask her, she will confirm that what you are saying is true?” Rebecca nods her head nervously. “Mhm.”
“Both businesses have been a nightmare lately. I have to go away for two months. That is why I haven’t been around much lately.”
“Two months?” Rebecca’s eyes widen, and Kenzo nods his head. Walking over to him, she throws the pie down onto his lap and makes her way up the stairs.
“Not happy about that?” Kenzo shouts up the stairs, and Rebecca keeps walking away from him.
“No. Bye, Kenzo.” Kenzo rolls his eyes, picks up his red bag, and puts his drink down on the side table. The pie falls to the floor.
Opening the door, he walks out of his house, leaving Rebecca alone. She walks back to the top of the stairs and stares down at the closed door. She gives up with him.
Yanking his trunk open, Kenzo launches his bag inside and slams it shut. Opening his driver’s door, he slides in and starts the ignition with his key.
Slamming his hands down on the steering wheel, he drives out of the driveway. He’s fed up. All he wants to do is spend time with Rebecca.
He can see how close she and Grayson are getting day by day, but the organization has to come first. It is out of his control and pissing him off.
He now has to get a flight back to Prentonville where he will stay there alone. He knows Rebecca will be safe at his home in Arlington, and that is why he is leaving her behind.
If something bad were to happen to her, then he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. That’s why he’s allowing her to become distant.
Still, it angers him that he has to leave her when all he wants to do is wrap his arms around her and keep her safe. He has many enemies he needs to take out, and he doesn’t want to involve Rebecca in business.
Personal life should never mix with work in his mind.
Last night, he had to go to a meeting to get his men to move out and go to the Bahamas. That meant he had to leave Rebecca again just after he saw her in his club.
In the early hours of the morning, he had to get all the weapons ready and pass all of his men the correct equipment. That also meant he missed her again, and when he returned, she wasn’t home.
He knows she went out with Grayson, but he doesn’t know where. The part that gets him the most is the fear in her expression when she returned to find that he was waiting for her.
Rebecca relaxes in bed. She’s wearing a big, thick, cream sweater and black shorts. She smiles as she searches through the movies trying to find one to watch.
A knock on her door grabs her attention, and she knows who it is instantly. Grayson.
“Hello, you. What are you watching?” Grayson asks her, and she shrugs her shoulders.
“I don’t know. Any recommendations?”
Shrugging his shoulders the same way she did, Grayson closes the door and walks over to the bed. Kicking off his shoes, he throws himself down onto the bed and grabs Rebecca’s waist.
She falls to lie on her back, laughing, and he wraps his arms around her, her head lying on his bicep. Smirking, he looks down at her. She’s exhausted.
“What about that one?” Grayson points at the TV, and Rebecca nods her head, choosing the series Grayson picked out.
She feels uncomfortable until Grayson mumbles, “I’m only comforting you. I’m not here to break you and Kenzo up. I’m here to fill in for the time being.”
Rebecca nods her head and snuggles into Grayson’s chest. It feels like two best friends having a good night in relaxing, but Rebecca doesn’t want to allow him to get too close to her.
She shuffles out of his arms and sits at the end of the bed. Grayson stands up, huffs out a deep breath, and pushes his feet inside his shoes. Walking to the door, he opens it and looks over at her.
The same way as he does each and every single day for the month and a half following.
Rebecca eats one meal a day, refuses to leave the bedroom, and never washes up. Grayson tries his best to make her take her vitamins, but she refuses and sits back with junk food, stuffing her face.
He tries to help her, but nothing works. Closing the door again, he visits her a couple of hours later. Her eyes have dark circles under them from not sleeping, and she looks extremely pale and unsettled.
Closing his eyes, he shuts the door again.
The next day is the same, and Grayson starts to feel angrier each passing minute. Pulling out his phone, he decides to contact Kenzo directly.
Leaning up against the wall, he pushes his brown hair back and breathes in deeply.
“What is it? I’m busy!” Kenzo shouts, snapping at him down the phone, and Grayson fists his hands.
He’s not going to watch her fall apart anymore. It’s not fair to her. She’s physically and mentally exhausted.
“I don’t care if you’re busy or not. Listen. I have watched Rebecca every fucking day. She’s having a mental breakdown. She has put space between herself and everyone around her.
“She never leaves that fucking room, she refuses to take her vitamins, and she hasn’t showered in over a fucking week.
“I don’t know which one means more to you. That pissing business or that innocent girl. Either way, you need to choose wisely.”
“Is that a threat?” Kenzo growls, and Grayson nods his head with his eyes still closed.
“It is. Don’t fix your shit and I’ll take your place. You can’t say I’m taking your possession because you haven’t been here to call her that.”
“I have to stay here,” Kenzo tells Grayson, sighing. Grayson shakes his head, laughing.
“Touch her and I will kill you,” Kenzo warns Grayson, who chuckles.
“Try it. I dare you to. We both know I’m not scared of you, Kenzo, so quit acting tough. You and I are equal.”
“Just because you’re my best mate doesn’t mean I won’t hurt you, Grayson. Just remember that.”
“It does. We have been friends for years. I know you better than anyone out there. Stop refusing my help! You act as if I’m the weak one here when we both know it is you who is struggling.
“Quit trying to be the big man and accept that you’ve fucked up!” Grayson yells at Kenzo.
He is right. Kenzo needs a good kick in the ass, and Grayson is the only man who can get away with doing that. Still, that doesn’t excuse him for the way that he got closer to Rebecca.
He overstepped the mark when he shouldn’t have. He should have been the man to support Kenzo from the very beginning, not wait until Rebecca showed him that she wasn’t interested before he spoke with Kenzo about her.
“I can’t,” Kenzo whispers. He feels terrible for leaving Rebecca behind, but he was left with no option but to keep her at a safe distance.
War is not a great place for her to be, and Kenzo doesn’t want her to get hurt. He would go down with her if that were to happen.
“Choose,” Grayson demands, and Kenzo sighs.
“I can’t. I have shit to sort out here,” Kenzo tells Grayson who nods his head in thought.
“Fine. I’ll look after her. Don’t bother.” Grayson gets ready to put the phone down. He knows what he said will get Kenzo moving.
“I need your help, bro,” Kenzo tells him. He sounds frustrated.
“You’re asking me for help?” Grayson’s eyes open up suddenly. He’s shocked by Kenzo’s statement.
“I am. Switch places. I can’t look after Rebecca and run shit over here. You switch with me, and I will make damn sure she’s fine. We are at war, and I can’t step away.
“If you remember what my dad taught you, then you should be fine running it without me. It’s killing me not being able to be there for her.”
“I’m on my way. Just know that I’m doing this to make sure she’s okay. Put Dante on with me,” Grayson demands. He can hear paperwork being crinkled by Kenzo.
“Are you trying to fuck me over?” Kenzo asks him, and Grayson shrugs his shoulders not saying a word.
“She is my priority,” Grayson tells him honestly, and Kenzo stays silent.
“Stop calling yourself a friend. You’re out.”
“I will.” Grayson nods his head, opens the door, and finds Rebecca staring out the window.
Ending the call, he closes the door. He will hand in all of his weapons and his uniform and leave Kenzo to run the organization on his own.
Rebecca stares out the window. She feels depressed. Her tears keep falling, and she cannot stop them. Her life feels like it’s the same, day in and day out. A repetitive cycle.
She feels trapped with no way to get out. She no longer feels strong. She’s tired and weak.
“Don’t worry, Rebecca. You will be back to your old self soon,” Grayson mumbles, walking down the stairs. He doesn’t want Kenzo to lose her. She’s precious, and he knows she means a lot to him.
It’s just that the two of them are going through a rough patch, and Kenzo is struggling with the workload, but he can’t deal with the way he does business.
Starting a war! That was a shock to the system when Kenzo said that to him. He doesn’t want to be a part of it anymore.
Grayson simply cannot help her. This job is specifically for Kenzo to deal with, but he needs help while he takes care of her.
Not all the Roberneros are bad people. It just takes them a long time to accept when they are in the wrong, and Kenzo is indeed that.
